TODAY I TOOK A LONG WALK
through the high desert woods of the
Cerro Gordo Mountains. I’ve never taken
this walk before, so I stepped cautiously
around gnarly tree roots, keeping my
attention bright in the hopes of avoiding
a twisted ankle or stepping on the baby
snakes sunning on the trail. Walking like
a model, one foot in front of the other, I
CYNDI LEE teaches yoga and meditation
everywhere, including at her studio Yoga
Goodness in Lynchburg, Virginia. She is cur-
rently training as a Zen chaplain under Roshi
Joan Halifax.
crossed a narrow plank over the moun-
tain creek and hopped onto a dusty path
that eventually dumped me out on Can-
yon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
For the last nine days I’ve been on
retreat at Upaya Zen Center, which
backs up to this trail. There is a medita-
tive quality of presence that informs all
aspects of retreat, whether we are sitting,
standing, washing dishes, or gardening,
and I consciously tapped into that quality
on my walk.
Meditation is often called a “gather-
ing together.” Mind and body aren’t
really separate. Whether you are talking,
writing, planning, or worrying, you are
still in your body. And when you are bik-
ing, sleeping, or walking the dog, your
thoughts still come and go.
I admit that my daily walks aren’t
usually this mindful. In fact, I’ve
noticed that I often don’t pay much
attention at all to the experience of
walking. I mostly pay attention to my
phone, continually checking my fitness
apptofindouthowcloseIamtomy
goal of 10,000 steps a day.
Traditional seated mindfulness
meditation instructions are to notice
when the mind has strayed and return
ILLUSTRATIONSBYTOMIUM
HOW TO PRACTICE
Embodied Mindfulness
You don’t just practice mindfulness with your mind. You practice it with your body too, indeed,
with your whole being. Well-known yoga teacher and Buddhist CYNDI LEE teaches us how.
LION’S ROAR | JULY 2016 31
CULTURE • LIFE • PRACTICE